New Allies Chapter 1
by natz999
Summary: Harry Potter is now in his Fifth year at Hogwarts and has finally managed to persuade the Durselys to let him have Ron over during the hols!
1. Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

A/N: first attempt at a HP fanfic so be nice!!! Plus I'm not sure about the HTML and stuff?  
  
Disclaimer: through the whole of this fic none of the characters that belong in the Potterverse belong to me, only the original characters and the plot are mine!!! (All mine!!!)  
Harry Potter awoke with a start. Outside, it was still pitch black - he could see through the open window. It was almost the end of July - Harry's birthday.  
  
Harry groaned as he grabbed his watch and realised it was 12:58pm. He sat up, realising that in two minutes he would be fifteen years old at last! He took his glasses from the dresser where his watch had been, pulled on his dressing gown and slippers, then made his way to the window, where he peered out at the gloom.  
  
"Wassa matter, 'Arry?' Ron mumbled, still half asleep.  
  
"Nothing.go back to sleep," he replied, absentmindedly fingering his lightning shaped scar. After the events of last year, Harry had expected it to work overtime this summer, but in reality it hadn't so much as twinged since he had stepped off the Hogwarts Express less than a month ago. He looked at his watch. He felt the now-familiar jolt in his stomach as he realised he was fifteen, and had been for a whole minute.  
  
He gazed at the night sky again, inadvertently looking for an owl, perhaps as a reminder that Ron wasn't the only friend he had at Hogwarts. He glanced at the snoring, sleeping figure slouched across the camp-bed on the threadbare floor.  
  
"Oww!" Harry yelped - quietly because he knew that the Dursleys were asleep in the room next to his, and he was already on their bad side for having invited Ron over to stay the summer. An owl had flown in and nipped him affectionately although a little over-excitedly therefore painfully on the shoulder.  
  
"Hedwig!" he exclaimed, happy to see his snowy owl back at last. She bore a heavy package as well as an accompanying letter which appeared to be from Hermione - this would make sense as she was the only one who didn't have access to her own owl during the summer. Harry took a handful of seed and held it out to Hedwig while he untied the letter from her leg with his right hand. He then opened the letter, placing the package on his desk.  
  
Dear Harry (it read) Happy Birthday! Thank you and Ron for your lovely letter. My stay in Bulgaria was enjoyable, but I'm glad to be back in England! I can't wait for term to start again - I've already started revising for the end of year tests. I've also been reading up on You-Know-Who, and I'll tell you more when we meet up in Diagon Alley next week! Perhaps we can eat ice-creams from Florence's Parlour as we discuss it! Anyway, I'll see you in two days! Love, Hermione!!!  
  
She'd also drawn an amusingly elaborate picture of the three of them standing in Diagon Alley with ice-creams. Harry smiled, reaching for his birthday parcel - then stopped, remembering his red-headed chum. He left it, telling himself it would be more exciting to open it with Ron. Harry heard a hoot from outside the window he'd closed when Hedwig had appeared, and he saw a familiar sight - Errol, being supported by Pig and an unknown owl. Errol and Pigwidgeon were obviously from the Weasleys, and Harry quickly relieved Errol of his burden, a letter and a card, and then patted Pig on the head. The tiny, fluffy owl hooted happily and deposited his package on the desk. He then went over to his cage and settled down to sleep.  
  
Harry turned his attention to the unknown owl. Its plumage was a rich brown with flecks of black and white. It was a beautiful bird. Harry saw it carried three letters - one bearing the Hogwarts crest, one which was distinctly Dumbledore's writing, and one whose handwriting was less familiar, though strangely comforting.  
  
The owl flew out of the window once Harry had given it some seed. Harry placed all his new post alongside Hermione's unopened parcel, and tucked the opened letter back into its envelope.  
  
Harry, feeling much happier, yet concerned as to why Sirius, his godfather, hadn't written, and curious about what Dumbledore had to say for himself, clambered back into bed and within seconds was fast asleep. 


	2. More presents!

"HARRY!!!" Ron almost yelled. He took Harry's shoulders and shook him gently. "Huh.whaaargh! Oh, Ron.it's you. You scared me nearly half to death!" Harry grumbled as he awoke. "Well, I thought you were dead for a minute there!! You've had birthday post. Oh, Happy Birthday by the way." He passed Harry a card. Harry got up again, and looked at his desk. The amount of post had doubled since he had returned to bed the previous night, and he grinned widely. "Ron, I've got looooads! I opened a letter last night from Hermione last night, wanna read?" He passed Ron the letter as he got started on the huge pile of cards and presents on his desk. The remaining Weasleys had sent a huge card with everyone's signature along with a cake and a large box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour-Beans. Fred and George had also managed to sneak in some of their newer creations too. There was a package for Ron from the twins as well, and Harry smiled - they'd obviously remembered their promise of new dress robes. Hermione had sent an enormous slab of Honeyduke's Best Chocolate, along with refills for his broomstick servicing kit. Harry opened his Hogwarts letter - nothing unexpected there - then the unknown letter. It was from Remus Lupin - their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher from third year. It also contained a gift voucher for a shop in Diagon Alley that specialised in DADA objects such as the Foe Glass and Sneakoscopes. Ron, who had by that time finished reading Hermione's letter, shoved envelope after envelope into Harry's hand - from Professor Moody (the real one!), from Hagrid ("He remembered!!"), Cho Chang ("she knows my birthday??") Sirius ("He's ok, Ron, he's ok!") and finally the one written by Dumbledore.  
  
Dear Mr Potter, First and foremost, I wish you a happy birthday. Secondly, I ask that whilst you are in Diagon Alley next week, please take time out from your busy schedule to see me with your comrades, Mr Weasley and Ms Granger, in the Leaky Cauldron on Tuesday for an hour or two at midday. Thank you, Professor A. Dumbledore.  
  
"Gosh, I wonder what he wants to talk to us about that can't wait until term starts? I wonder if it has anything to do with You-Know-Who?" wondered Ron. "What, Voldemort?" Ron flinched. "Sorry.well, I dunno, I reckon we'll just have to wait and see!" He quickly opened the remainder of his parcels, including a book on Quiddich from Sirius and a mini Foe Glass from Mad-Eye Moody as thanks for saving his life. Then Ron and Harry went outside for Harry to try in vain to teach Ron the rules of football for the fifth time in the past two days! 


End file.
